How to Chop n Screw (video!)

So, I got a video request for this earlier this month, someone asked about chop n screw music, and about how it’s made. I thought I’d make a video to show you how.

It’s a basically straight-forward remix style. It was invented by DJ Screw, a DJ from Houston, TX. Through the use of slowing down a track (screwing) and cutting/looping small bits of the rhythm and composition (chopping) .. (and also, in some cases, adding phasers or flangers, if desired) you can achieve a sound similar to what DJ Screw was trying to go for.

Without further ado, here’s the tutorial…

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Hope that was helpful.

Here’s a great example of a chopped n screwed remix by DJ Screw… It’s a remix of Biggie’s ‘Juicy,’ and it starts out pretty intact, but gets fairly choppy after a minute or two. Biggie + DJ Screw = AWESOME.

I find that when I’m in a chop n screw type of mood, nothing else does it for me except for listening to some good ol’ fashioned DJ Screw mixtapes. Though, I guess it doesn’t have to be DJ Screw; there are a number of talented producers and remixers out there that are doing it, too. In fact, in the last year or so I’ve seen more and more cases of chopped n screwed music showing up, in forms you might not expect. There’s this new style called ‘Lean House,’ involving the mixture of chopped n screwed elements with house music sounds. The word ‘lean’ is a reference to ‘purple,’ or ‘syrup,’ (or you could just call it ‘lean’ and be done with it) which contains cough syrup and sprite and.. well, it really slows ya down, but the sprite peps you up a little bit. Interesting drink. Not good for you, obviously. And, I’m not saying you HAVE to drink it to enjoy chopped n screwed music. But, if you’re into it, I’m not judging ya.

Now, not to brag, or take credit for this emerging style of house + chopped n screwed that I just mentioned…..buuuuut…. since I don’t know of anyone else doing it before I made the track (below) a couple years ago, until someone steps up and shuts me up, I’m gonna claim credit for this sound. So, there ya go. I called it ‘acid screw’ because I mixed acid house with chop n screw music. Mad ducking with that rhythm, and a nice Cypress Hill vocal on top about smoking; along with some house hats in the background, and house vocal bridging the refrains together. With this, instead of phasing out the entire track, I tended to phase and/or flange individual tracks in the song, creating a more dynamic/thicker texture, whilst at the same time maintaining a very basic hip hop structure to the entire song.